FBI Chief Urges Senate Panel To Renew U.S. Global Surveillance

FBI Director Christopher Wray will urge a Senate committee to renew the authority of the US government to conduct warrantless surveillance outside the US, arguing that failing to do so would be "a form of unilateral disarmament," as reported by Andrew Goudsward for Reuters.

Wray is expected to cite threats from Iran and China to argue that the sweeping surveillance powers authorized under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). I Photo: Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan

Wray is expected to cite threats from Iran and China to argue that the sweeping surveillance powers authorized under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), set to expire at the end of this month, are vital to US national security.

"Stripping the FBI of its 702 authorities would be a form of unilateral disarmament," Wray will tell the Democratic-led Senate Judiciary Committee during an oversight hearing, according to excerpts of his testimony released by the FBI.

The surveillance power of the US government has come under scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers on both the right and left in recent years, particularly the ability of federal law enforcement to search for data on US citizens picked up as part of surveillance of foreign targets.

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